Free NHS prescriptions for some in England

nightmare, RN · Sep 23, 2008

That is really good news for all those on long term cancer treatments.

allnurses Guide · Sep 23, 2008

Hopefully it will be rolled out to all pateints in England, I still can't get used to walking into pharmacy with my prescription and not having to pay for it

nightmare, RN · Sep 23, 2008

My husband already gets free prescriptions but I still have to pay £5.Because I'm diabetic but not on medication I still have to pay for test strips etc.

cariad · Sep 24, 2008

wish that the americans could get their head around some ideas from the uk, prescription prices vary over here, they have $4 prices for basic stuff, but with all dh's cardiac meds now we pay out about $200+ each month. have just had to pay $27 for my pain pills, over $200 if i didnt have insurance.

karenG · Sep 24, 2008

well.. I shall be totally controversial and get on my soap box here, donning my flak jacket..

I think everyone should pay!! It should be set at maybe £1. did you know that only 20% of people actually pay for prescriptions?

I work in general practice and I am fed up with people who want paracetemol on script because they dont have to pay- its 20p for a packet in morrisons! I also have people who want deodorant on script because they dont pay for scripts... the abuse of the free scripts is staggering.

if you have asthma/diabeties etc then ok get those meds free but it means you get all meds free.. I dont think you should get everything free. I actually think if people had to pay a token amount they might actually appreciate the service and not ask me for paractemol! to make an appointment to see me because you need some paracetemol.... come on! do people have nothing better to do??

I also think people should get a print out telling them how much their medication cost.. some asthma inhalers cost £60+ .. people have no idea how much it costs..

ok.. out in GP land we think about cost a lot!! particulary when we are told we cant prescribe a drug because its too expensive!

Silverdragon102, BSN · Sep 24, 2008

I used to hate that time of the year when PCT would come in and go through the prescriptions and costs with the manager and GP's and then we would spend days doing through changing peoples prescriptions to another brand because it was cheaper and then spend time explaining to the patients why

Sister Fox · Sep 24, 2008

i also think people should get a print out telling them how much their medication cost.. some asthma inhalers cost £60+ .. people have no idea how much it costs..

i do agree with you on this point. it certainly should be made crystal clear to patients how much everything costs - even things like joint replacements, trouser grafts and corneal implants.

i get rattled when i hear people stand on their soapbox and say "i'm entitled; i've paid for this all my life ..." er, no you haven't mister. your nhs contributions barely cover the cost of the drugs you have in your lifetime, much less anything else.

i also agree with you about the paracetamol but my gp has tried two or three times over recent months to let her prescribe it for me (i have an arthritic knee) but i won't because, as you say, it is so cheap otc.

however - you knew that was coming, didn't you! - i well remember the times (and maybe you do too) when prescriptions charges were about 1 shilling (5p) per script not per item.

but i see you're in general practice and presume you must be aware of some who do find it really difficult to stump up £7.10 for each item when they are on a whole gallery of medications and don't qualify for any relief.

so would we want to means test this? personally i think not. however, i'm in a privileged position being an oap so i get them free anyway. but in the 15 years before i attained my bus pass, i used to get an annual prescription certificate which helped me out a lot. perhaps people should be encouraged to make more use of them.

cariad · Sep 24, 2008

my reply is a bit soap boxish as well, we had a printout of dh's hospital admission and every other thing itemised. the hospital bed alone cost over $250k the metal fixture in his neck $17k and 6 screws to keep it in place also $17k, the cadaver bone was $22k, so although we had the prices itemised, because of the overinflated prices by firstly the paharmaceutical companies, then the medical insurance companies and then the hospitals, the whole bill was astronomical. we are still paying our contribution as a monthly payment. so its all good and bad wherever you are.

ayla2004, ASN, RN · Sep 24, 2008

I think patients should know the cost of services and medicines given by the NHS. GP visits, medications, and especially a&e and in-patient care. I am glad i'm not the person deciding what to fund and what not, a limiteless pot with many demands who will lose out. considering n.i. funds the nhs and benifts some people recive more than they have payed/will pay in. I have had my student nurse training free funded by the NHS this probaly has cost the tax payer 45,000 pounds and i've had nhs care and claimed benifts. much more from the system than i've paid in. however i now am a newly qualifed nurse so i'm on pay back

MaryAnn_RN · Sep 24, 2008

My DH has medication on regular prescription; the pharmacist recommended that we get a pre-payment certificate at £27.85 for three months.

http://www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/ppc_intro.htm

We were paying £7.10 for each of his drugs so this is a considerable saving.

Sister Fox · Sep 24, 2008

my reply is a bit soap boxish as well, we had a printout of dh's hospital admission and every other thing itemised. the hospital bed alone cost over $250k the metal fixture in his neck $17k and 6 screws to keep it in place also $17k, the cadaver bone was $22k, so although we had the prices itemised, because of the overinflated prices by firstly the paharmaceutical companies, then the medical insurance companies and then the hospitals, the whole bill was astronomical. we are still paying our contribution as a monthly payment. so its all good and bad wherever you are.

i have many friends in the us (albeit internet friend, but friends nonetheless) and it scares me witless the bills they get for the most elementary procedures, never mind the more involved stuff! and then they have little idea just how much of it the insurance will cover and thusly how much they'll have to fund themselves. $10,000 seems not at all uncommon!

but you know what? i think uk folk should get a print out too, just to show them what their hip replacement or cholecystectomy has really cost.